Firing mechanism for ordnance



Oct. 12 1926. 1,602,570

T. A. CONLON FIRING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANCE Fil'ed August 6. 1925 2 sheetspsheet 1 gnue'ntoz Thomas A Cun1un Oct 12,1926. 1,602,570

'r. A. CONLON FIRING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANCE Filed August 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 THOMAS A. CON'LON, OF SILVER SEEING, MARYLAND.

FIRING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANCE.

Application filed ugust 6, 1925.

Serial No. 48,658.

(GRANTED UNDER TEE ACT 03? MARCH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its otficers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

This invention relates to firing mechanism for ordnance.

In guns of the larger calibers, the firing mechanism is conveniently mounted in the breech block, the arm of the trigger shaft being exteriorly of the bloc r for attachment of a lanyard which is given a pull to fire the piece and then released. Such an arrangement is objectionable in many instances because it requires the firing arm of the trigger shaft to be of too great a length to secure the proper leverage and confines operation to one side of the gun while in high angle fire, with many types of mounts, the operators hand would necessarily be in the path of the recoiling barrel. Conse quently, it is contemplated in the present invention to mount on the cradle oi the gun improved mechanism for actuating the arm of the trigger shaft.

In addition, guns of this type are usually equipped with a loading tray mounted on the cradle ror oscillatory movement so that the fused shell or projectile may more easi- 1y be moved into alignment with the bore of the gun preparatory to ramming it into the chamber. This tray is thrown back before the breech blocl is closed and it has been customary to locl: it to the cradle to prevent it from rocking due to the shock of the explosion thereby requiring that it be unlocked before being swung inwar lly to position the succeeding shell. Since the tendency to rock the tray is only manifested at the instant of discharge, 1 accordingly associated with the firing mechanism means for temporarily locking the tray against movement when the firing mechanism is actuated.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements described here inatter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. wherein Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of the breech end of a gun equipped with my improved mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view in left side elevation showing the method of locking the loading tray;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in right side elevation, parts in section; 4

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 1, the gun removed;

Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of a modified form of the mechnism; and

Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary view in elevation partly in section of the slide shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawin 's by numerals of reference:

According to the invention, a gun 5 is reciprocally mounted on a cradle 6, which is conveniently divided at its rear end to receive the depending gun lug 7 which is provided tor establishing connection with the recoil mechanism. The cradle also carries ray 8 mounted for oscillatory movement to facilitate positioning of the rounds. The gun is provided with a usual breech block 9 which conveniently houses mechanism for firing the primer of a shell, said mechanism including a trigger shaft 10 on which is fixed a firing arm 11 exteriorly of the block.

The mechanism for actuating the arm 11 is mounted on the cradle below the bloclt and consists of a slide 12 mounted on a rod 13 fixed to a bracket 14- and a rib 15 ot the cradle,'the rib being suitably slotted at 15 to support the rear end of the slide and to permit reciprocation thereof. A spring 16 embracing the rod is confined. between the rib and the forward end of the slide and serves to normally maintain the slide in inoperative position where it is arrested by the bracket 1%. The slide is provided with an upstanding lug 17 which is positioned forwardly of the firing arm 11 and through which the firing arm is rocked during rearward movement of the slide. Movement is imparted to the slide by means of a Dell crank lever 18 fixed on a shaft 19 which extends transversely of the cradle; the lever acting on a pin 20 on the slide obviously the shaft must be placed in front of the lug 7 of the gun barrel and it is the position of this shaft with respect to the firing arm 11 which controls the design of the lever 18 and in the particular structure shown ren ders advisable the inclusion of a slide member. lVith modified arrangement of the gun and cradle, the lever 18 could operate directly to function the fire arm. As the lever 18 operated the slide is moved to the rear, rocking the firing arm to actuate the firing mechanism.

Inasmuch as the lever 18 is fixed to the shaft, this shaft is rotated when the lever is rocked. The shaft extends transversely of the cradle being suitably journaled therein and in a supporting bracket 21 and projects beyond the left side of the cradle. Formed on this projecting end is an arm or lever 22 to which is secured one end of a rearwardly extending rod 23 supported and guided by brackets 24. In the inoperative position of the mechanism the rear end of the rod terminates short of the forward arm 25 of the loading tray which is apertured as at 26 to receive the rear portion of the rod on rotation of the shaft 19. Counterrotation of the shaft 19 through the spring 16 effects immediate withdrawal of the rod 23 from the tray.

Obviously. if desired to operate the mechanism from the opposite side of the gun, the lever 18 might be duplicated or it might be divided. the handle portion fixed to the shaft on the left hand side of the cradle and the lever fixed to the right end of the shaft.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures and. 6. the slide 12 may be provided on its under side with a rack 52'? which meshes with a pinion 28 fast on the shaft 19 so that the slide may be retracted against the action of its spring 16 to actuate the firing arm 11. In this instance, a handle 29 would preferably be fixed to the left end of the shaft.

IVhile in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon. a breech blo k including a. firing arm. a slide mounted on the cradle and adapted to actuate the firing arm, means for retracting the slide. a shaft extending transversely of the cradle and rotatable with said means, an arm on the end of the shaft, a rod attached to said arm and a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement and provided with an aperture to re ceive the end of said rod when the firing arm is functioned, and means for restoring the slide and its attendant mechanism to initial position.

2. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon, a breech block inchiding a firing arm, a slide mounted on the cradle and adapted to actuate the firing arm, means for retracting the slide, a shaft extending transversely of the cradle and rotatable with said means. an arm on the end of the shaft, a rod attached to said arm. and a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement and provided with an aperture to receive the end of said rod when the firing arm is functioned.

3. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon, a breech block including a firing arm, means carried by the cradle and adapted to actuate the arm, mechanism for actuating said means, a shaft extending transversely of the cradle and rotatable with said mechanism. an arm on the shaft, a rod attached to said arm, and a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement and provided with an aperture to receive the end of said rod when the firing is functioned.

4. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon, a breech block including a firing arm, means mounted on the cradle whereby the firing arm may be functioned, a shaft extending transversely of the cradle and rotatable with said means, an arm on the shaft, a rod secured to the arm and a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement and provided with an aperture to receive the end of said rod when the firing arm is functioned. and means for restoring the arm functioning means and its attendant mechanism to initial position.

5. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon, a breech block including a firing arm, means mounted on the cradle whereby the firing arm may be functioned, a shaft extending transversely of the cradle and rotatable with said means, an arm on the shaft, a rod secured to the arm, and a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement and provided with an aperture to receive the end of aid rod when the firing arm is functi-oned.

6. A cradle. a gun mounted thereon, a breech block including a firing arm, means mounted on the cradle for functioning the firing arm, a shaft extending transversely of the cradle and rotatable with said means, a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement, and means operable from the shaft for locking the tray when the firing, arm is functioned.

7. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon, a breech block including a firing arm, means for functioning the firing arm, a shaft eX- tending transversely of the cradle and rotatable With said means, a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement, and means operable from the shaftfor locking the tray when the firing arm is functioned.

8. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon, a breech block including a firing arm, means for functioning the firing arm, a loading tray mounted on the cradle for oscillatory movement, and means associated with said actuating means for locking the tray.

9. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon, a breech block including a firing arm, a slide mounted on the cradle and adapted to func- 15 tion said arm, a rack on the slide, a spring for normally maintaining the slide in inoperative position, a pinion in mesh with the rack, and means for turning the pinion.

10. The combination with a gun, including firing mechanism, of a loading tray movable to position a round in position to be loaded into the gun, and means associated with the firing mechanism for momentarily locking the tray upon actuation of the firing mechanism.

11. The combination with a gun, including firing mechanism, of a loading tray movable to position a round in position to be loaded into the gun, and means associated With the firing mechanism for locking the tray upon actuation of the firingmechanism.

THUMAS A. CONLON. 

